The Dark Figure
by Kvothe the magnificent
Summary: Jembi was orphaned at six years old on New Alderaan. He stole, cheated and hunted for his living. Now, when a mysterious stranger whisks him away from his pristine yet harsh home, he is thrown into a conflict thousands of years old. Will he be able to face the Darkside of the Force and not fall in? (this story starts in 519 ABY)
1. Chapter 1

**I**

The dark figure sat meditating on the cliff side. Jembi peered cautiously from behind the bush. The young, pale white Zabrak had never seen anyone at his secret sanctuary let alone someone as mysterious as this robed stranger. It unnerved him.

"You think you've watched me long enough," the stranger said softly. Jembi jumped. _How did she know I was here, _he thought to himself, _I was careful to be quiet and I know I wasn't seen._ Jembi stepped out slowly and stood quietly. The stranger cocked his head quizzically, "I didn't know any Zabrak had found this quiet place. Tell me young one, what brings you here?" Jembi stood his ground and stared at this mysterious intruder.

The stranger sighed and rose slowly. Her dark robes flowed down to his ankles and her large hood obscured her face. As she turned, all Jembi could see was the stranger's sharp chin and nose and sculpted lips. She smiled and her brilliant white teeth flashed in the shadowed hood.

"A quiet one I see," the stranger reached up and pulled back her hood. Her sharp features and a black cloth headband bound her eyes. Long and brown, her hair cascaded down her shoulders interlaced with the slightest amount of gray. Jembi found it uncomfortable looking someone in the "eye" when he could not see their eyes.

"Do not bother with my lack of eyes, child. I can see as well as you if not better," the stran ger said suddenly. Jembi was perturbed by this strange woman's ability to know what he was doing without seeing him. "You mean you have no eyes," the young Zabrak asked. The stranger nodded and smiled kindly, "I am one of the Miraluka, a pround race. We have no eyes so we see through the force." She gestured with her hand and a nearby rock floated into her hand. "Do you know of the Force youngling," the stranger said with a kindness in her voice, much like a doting grandmother. Jembi thought, "It's what Jedi use right?" The stranger nodded and smiled, "but it's more than that. The Force flows through everything and everything uses it to live and exist," the Miraluka levitated the rock, "the Jedi simple tap into the unlimited energies of the Force and borrow its power to manipulate the world around them… Tell me, young one, why do you come here?"

Jembi looked around, "I feel comfortable here. It's where I go to be at peace." The woman smiled, "I can see why, youngling. The way I "see" you, I see you leaking force, connecting with the world, swaying with its motion." Jembi looked confused. "You are a part of the Force like anyone, my little Zabrak, but unlike others you have a strong connection with it," she explained, "and this place flows with the natural energies of the force more strongly than the rest of the planet. You feel the energies and are drawn to them, calmed by them," the woman grabbed his hand. Jembi furrowed his brow, "do you mean I could become a Jedi?" The Miraluka shrugged, "you could be anything you want, but you have the rare potential to be one with the Force like me."

Jembi thought about it. This stranger was more interesting than anyone he had ever met. Her mysterious manner and peaceful words showed wisdom and caring than his very own mother used to.

An orphan at age six, Jembi grew up on New Alderaan hunting in the woods and running from lawmen. He found the cave by accident when wandering the forest looking for game. He felt a mysterious connection to the place and made regular visits to find peace of mind.

The cave its self was in the side of a cliff with a water fall running off of the open side. In the back, a tunnel flanked by bushes ran upwards to the surface. The view from mouth of the cave was beautiful, overlooking a wide plain. In the evening, like it was then, the sun glistened off the droplets cascading off the cliff.

A chance to get away from this rough life was all he ever wanted and now that it was in front of him, he found himself hesitating. Did he really want to leave? The stranger smiled at him, "you don't have to decide now, even if you did say yes I'd still like to train you here," she gazed wistfully at the view, "the Force is strong here."

Jembi frowned, "you want to train me and neither of us knows the other's name." She looked at him wryly, "well then allow me to introduce myself. I am Shirra Morvana."


	2. Chapter 2

**II**

Jembi and Shirra began training immediately. Starting with Force powers, Shirra made Jembi meditate on the cavern's mouth till he felt the Force resonating through him. "How will I know when it is happening?" About 5 minutes in, Jembi was already getting impatient. Shirra looked at him witheringly, "Do you think you'll feel it blabbing?" Jembi shook his head reluctantly. "Then sit quietly and concentrate," Shirra started pacing around him, "Try breathing as slowly as you can, once you think you're there, go further. Feel the Force around you." Jembi tried to do as she commanded.

Hours passed. At one point Jembi had thought he felt something then it was gone, evading his grasp. He furrowed his brow and fought furiously to get it back. He eventually got it but it took all his strength and concentration to grab hold of it. Once he had it he cried out in victory. "I have it," he yelled… to an empty room. "Shirra," Jembi called, "are you there?"

He saw Shirra come pacing down the tunnel a while later, "Well Jembi," she asked slowly when she saw him waiting impatiently, "do you have it?" Jembi had been practicing summoning the power of the Force the hour Shirra had been gone. "Yes, I do. Watch," Jembi said proudly. He picked up a rock and threw it up. Then as it was coming down he summoned the Force and slammed it against the wall. The effort left him panting and he looked to Shirra for approval. She simply shook her head, "It's a start but that's not using the Force, young one."

She picked up the stone he had hurled across the room, "The Force is not something to be commanded. It's something to direct and guide," as she spoke the rock levitated and started spinning. "When one commands the Force, that is when one falls to the Dark Side," she continued, "You see Jembi, there are two sides to the Force just like there are two sides to you, a light and a dark, a push and a pull." The rock started bobbing up and down, spinning faster and faster. "The way of the Jedi is Light and the way of the Sith is Dark. These two powers push and pull on each other, jostling the world around them while they vie for dominance," Jembi's new master continued, "The battle consumes them, eats them whole and they never attain true balance." The rock was humming and shaking apart, chips flying everywhere. Jembi shielded his eyes from the hail as Shirra continued, "If force wielder desires to be whole they must balance the two forces within themselves and stop the turmoil," the rock suddenly stopped dead and hovered without any sort of quake or quiver, "Then and only then can one attain the power they need to achieve their goals." Shirra suddenly slammed her open palm towards the wall and the rock drilled a hole straight into the rock wall.

Jembi watched this in awe. The raw power his master commanded was amazing. And she did it with such ease! "Now try coaxing the force to obey you. Ask, don't tell." Shirra's command broke Jembi from his trance and he rushed to grab another stone. He sat down and began meditating with the stone in front of him.

Months passed like this, Jembi showing Shirra what he had learned and Shirra would give him wisdom and pointers. Eventually Jembi felt he could learn no more about the basic force and he set out to find Shirra to ask for more knowledge but she was nowhere to be found. On her bead roll was a small note. It read:

_If you can find me then you will be ready for what I have next. I am somewhere in the forest, waiting._

_-Shirra_

_P.S. Use the Force._

Jembi looked around for clues as to where she had gone. But there were no tracks and all her stuff was still there in the cave. As he read the note again he remembered one of Shirra's lectures. "The ability to sense the world around you is the pinnacle of the Force. If one can sense their surroundings they can control them and what better way to sense your surroundings than with the very tool and weapon you use."

Jembi had rolled his eyes at this. _What use is that when I can see with my eyes, _he had thought. Now he saw the value of that lesson. Not all things are visible. Some things may be very far off, other close at hand but hidden form sight. He needed to embrace the world around him and let the Force show him what he wanted to see.

Jembi sat down and began meditating. He lost himself in feeling the currents of the Force. He spread his senses further and further till he could feel the whole forest. He felt every animal, blade of grass, tree. He felt everything but Shirra. _Where is she_, Jembi thought. _I don't sense her_, he began picking through every crack and crevice of the forest but he searched for hours to no avail. Maybe he wasn't looking hard enough? _No,_ he thought, _she wouldn't make herself impossible to find. It must be a trick._ He began searching for some sort of oddity, something to signify her presence.

There! He found it, an absence of the Force. It was only about 100 yards away too. Jembi grinned to himself, _I'll have to ask her to teach me that. _

Jembi got up, stretched and set out towards the disturbance. He walked into a large clearing where a large furnace was set up and roaring heat and various machining tool were humming with power from a large battery. Shirra was standing next to it deep in thought. She smiled as she sensed his approach. "Well look who swaggered up all proud," she said in a mocking voice then softened, "I knew you could do it."

Jembi smiled and pointed, "What's all this and where'd you get it?"

Shirra gestured around, "You don't think I came here on a shuttle do you?" Jembi frowned, "No, I guess not… This came from your ship?" In all the time they'd been in the woods he had never heard her mention a ship. "Yes, young one. It's a very regal cruiser." She smiled, "But yes it all came from my ship. These tools come in handy you know."

Jembi looked at all the strange equipment and small piles of raw materials strewn around, "What are they for?" Shirra looked at him blankly, "to make your lightsaber of course."


	3. Chapter 3

**III**

Jembi's jaw dropped. A lightsaber? Like the Jedi? Jembi felt excitement rise up in him, "You mean I get to make my own lightsaber?" Shirra laughed, "Yes, Jembi. Eventually you will make your own lightsaber. For now I need to school you in the various types though."

Shirra explained it all. The simple but effective single bladed hilt came first. Typically a Jedi's first lightsaber, this weapon in of itself was a powerful tool with as many variations as users. Next came the double bladed lightsaber or saberstaff. This exotic weapon was aggressive, destructive, and difficult to wield but the masters of this weapon were unpredictable and powerful. A less common type of lightsaber was not a lightsaber at all but two, wielded together for a fast and precise fighting style. The final type of lightsaber Shirra explained was the most rare and unpredictable but also the most deadly.

"A paired lightsaber," she said. Jembi frowned, "You mean like dual lightsabers?" Shirra shook her head, "It can be used like that but what makes the paired lightsaber so powerful is its ability to be joined together and taken back apart." Jembi's eyes glitered in understanding and desire, "That's the one I want."

"Are you sure," Shirra started but Jembi cut her off, "Yes. I don't care how hard it will be." Seeing the determination in his eyes, Shirra conceded, "As you say, my young one."

Jembi picked up a long tube of black metal. The tube was lightweight and resonated nicely when he tapped it. After browsing Shirra's considerable selection of materials, Jembi almost always discarded every piece he selected, finally arriving at this one lightweight piece of black metal. He added it to the organized stack of materials on the assembly desk. So far he had two identical emitter rings, two holding structures for the crystals, and various other details. Though the metal Jembi had in his hands was durable it needed something to reinforce it. He looked around and picked up another tube. This ridged silver metal was much stouter and had a thicker wall.

Jembi smiled and thought of a way to put it all together. Sitting at the lathe he started shaping the two tubes into a set of interlocking hilts with a set of twist together joints at the bases. The end result of his labor was an intricate hilt with a mix of silver inlaid into the exterior black hilt. They had a set of three, silver emitter guards shaped in gentle half inch curves. At the end of each guard was a spherical tip that could be used to bludgeon opponents to submission without serious injury. All in all, the whole set of hilts was a foot and three inches long and one inch wide.

Jembi leaned back and sighed. Shirra had promised to show him how to make the crystals once he had the hilt. "No sense in making crystals for a saber that doesn't exist," she had said. Jembi took his finished hilt to Shirra and she looked it over appraisingly.

"Very good," she mused, "The emitter guards are a bit odd but I can see the purpose." Very suddenly she rose and walked over to the furnace. Jembi followed closely like a child eager to get a cookie for the jar. "How many crystals do you need for that design," Shirra asked critically. "Six," Jembi proclaimed proudly, "One for each focus, an four for the length and power adjustments."

Shirra pressed her fingers into the bridge of her nose and sighed. _This is becoming too complex for my liking_, she thought. "Come this way, young one. You are going to have one long week."

As the crystals grew Jembi was required continually to purify and shape them with the force. He got little reprieve and even less sleep as the week wore on. The crystals grew and grew, progressing slowly but surely till they were the size of golf balls and glistened in the light.

In the middle of the seventh night, Jembi felt the last crystal settle into alignment. He quickly removed it from the forge and placed it on the cooling bench. The others were all nearly completely clear with only the faintest hint of gold. Shirra inspected this last one approvingly as she had for the other five. "It's rough but it'll do," she said after a handful of tense minutes. Jembi sighed in relief. He had been worried that his last crystal would not pass inspection and he'd have to start over again.

"Now file them to shape," Shirra instructed. "Make the focusing one long and slender and the other two wide for a nice lattice sample." Jembi sigh again, this time in complaint. He knew that this would take even longer than the last task. But never-the-less he went back to work with the same diligence and care he had done the other two tasks with. He ground away the flakes of crystal till he had six perfect crystals for what he wanted.

With the final pieces ready, Jembi constructed and aligned his lightsaber. The finished product was sleek, lightweight, and extremely versatile. He used two recessed throttle style activator switches and two movable sections near the emitter for blade length and power adjustment. The intricate design of the paired saber was not only striking but unique, allowing Jembi full control over the details.

Shirra let out a low whistle as she inspected the sleek saber. "Not bad, not bad at all," she muttered. "Go ahead and turn it on, little one." Jembi took it back and flipped the activator switched into place with a mechanical click. The faintly yellow blades shot out with a distinctive "snap-hiss" sound and hummed ominously.

Jembi closed his eyes and lowered his head, deep in thought. He slowly twisted the dials near the emitter and Shirra watched as the blades extended, shortened, grew brighter and duller. _I'm seeing the most versatile weapon of this age_, Shirra thought with sudden clarity. Jembi turned the saber off with another metallic click. The blades rapidly retreated leaving a "zip" sound echoing in Shirra's ears.

Jembi smiled at his master with pride. "It works," he said tiredly. Shirra took the weapon from him and clipped it to his belt with one motion. "Go now, rest," she said in a soft motherly tone.


	4. Chapter 4

**IV**

**_6 Months Later_**

Jembi stood looking out the starboard view port, his gleaming saber clipped proudly to his belt. He had grown a lot in the past half year. His horns had broken through bearing his proud heritage in the form of a perfect circle on the crown of his skull. He had tattooed himself with regal line that snaked across his face and accentuated his strong features. His dark gray traveler's robe flowed down to the floor. Underneath he wore a lighter gray rough spun cloth tunic and pants with light phrik body armor.

Over all he was impressive enough to make people avoid him and move about their business leaving him unnoticed. He was on a small Mon Cal frigate on his way to Coruscant. As Coruscant was a hub for the Jedi Order's dealings on inner galactic systems no one looked twice at what appeared to be a Jedi going about his business.

In reality Jembi was anything but a Jedi, though he thought of himself as one. His beliefs and skills were much broader than any normal Jedi and he was not accepted by the Order. But he cared little for this. He was a Jedi not because of his beliefs or memberships. He was a Jedi because his role in the universe was to help others. That was how he saw it so that is how he was.

A small human male hurried down the corridor and in his hast did not notice Jembi standing there gazing into hyperspace. The man bumped into Jembi and spun into the wall, his paper scattering everywhere.

"No no no," he cried, "I'm so sorry sir. I-I…" The man looked like he was about to pass out from stress. Jembi smiled easily and simply waved his hand. All the papers reformed into their perfect stacks and hovered in front of the flustered man.

He gawked at them then hastily took them from the air. "Th-thank you so much Jedi, sir," he flustered quickly as he bowed. Jembi snorted a laugh. "Just get going already. You were late as it was." The man jumped and started to hurry off. "Thank you, sir," he called over his shoulder.

Jembi chuckled and turned to look out the window again. "Bustling humans. When will they ever relax," he mused to himself. He frowned and thought about his mission again. He was supposed to be going to the Jedi temple to request an audience with the Grand Council. By itself the mission wasn't strange but Shirra had explicitly said not to use her name. Instead he was supposed to be the pupil of ShilDor'Kal, a pseudo Jedi in the uncharted regions of space.

Jembi shrugged and started striding off to his quarters. He felt the Frigate jolt as it suddenly got kicked out of hyperspace and rushed back to the view port. Outside was an imposing Star Destroyer and several support frigates at its flanks. They had a small ship near them and Jembi could sense the dark presence about that small craft all the way from the Mon Cal frigate.

_Something is definitely wrong,_ he thought to himself just as the Star Destroyer locked them in with their tractor beam. Jembi felt anger rise up in him. _How dare they attack a small unarmed transport,_ he fumed in his mind. He grasped his lightsaber and strode to the docking port door. _Whoever this is, they will pay._

Jembi sensed the looming ship creep over the small frigate and envelope him. The docking arm connected with a pressurizing hiss and the pressure seal light flipped to green. Jembi readied himself and grit his teeth in preparation for the oncoming fight. He could feel all the soldiers on the other side. Their anticipation and mal-intent radiated through the door like a vile musk.

The door slid open and the soldiers took a step forward then jumped back when the saw Jembi facing them. His lightsaber was out but off and he grimaced menacingly. "Who in the hell are you and what do you want," he snapped angrily. The soldiers took a step back and Jembi ignited a single blade of his lightsaber in a reverse Shien grip.

The lead soldier finally came to his senses and snapped, "Open fire," before jumping behind his troops. The instant he was out of the way dozens of blaster bolts flew towards Jembi. He batted them aside into the walls of the cruiser. He ignited the second blade and started spinning in wild circles, deflecting every blast that came near him. As the troopers became more focused in their fire Jembi began to throw a few bolts here and there back at the wall of troopers. The soldiers began to fall back as more and more of their comrades fell to their own shots. One hit the officer in the shoulder and that was the last straw. The wounded soldiers fled back through the air lock and back to their ship leaving wounded and dead behind.

Jembi pulled the remaining soldiers through the airlock with one powerful pull the slammed the doors shut and locked them. He stabbed the control consol locking it permanently.

Security forces on the ship came rushing around the corner just as Jembi withdrew his saber from the consol and flipped it off. They knelt and leveled their blasters at him while their leader stepped forward.

"You! Jedi! What happened here," he asked with a hint of tremor in his voice. Jembi looked at him witheringly and stepped over the invading officer's unconscious form. Jembi hefted the large man with one hand and strode towards the arrayed security officers. "If you'll excuse me I have a prisoner to question," he stated calmly and walked through the officers to his cabin.


End file.
